Switch for street-railways



(No-Model.)

F. DE H. ROBISON.

SWITCH POB, STREET RAILWAYS.

Patented-June 8, 1886.

A TTOHHEY UNITED STATES PATENT Ori-uen.

FRANK DE H. ROBISON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SWITCH FOR STREET-RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,398, dated June 8, 1885. l

Application filed March 1, 1886.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, FRANK Dn H. BoBIsoN,

a citizen of the United States, residingat Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements inSwitches for Street-Railways and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. My invention relates to improvements in switches for street-railways, and more especially to the class in which the switching is effected by the weight of the'animal drawing the car.

The object of the invention is to produce a switch in which the operating mechanism is wholly located within the track and in the ordinary line of travel of the horses, and is so constructed and arranged as to simplify and improve the means'by which the shifting ofthe switch is accomplished. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of one form of my improved device, showing an ordinary switch-tongue connected with the operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of an improved form of tongue with the same operating mechanism. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on lines x w, Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views on lines y y. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line zz. Fig. 8 is a bottom view of one of theside sections of the platform, and Figs. 9 andlO sections of the same, all showing different forms of keepers. Fig. 1l is a perspective of my improved switch-plate, and Fig. 12 an enlarged view of the tongue shown inFig. 2. A represents a rectangular box or frame to Which the switch mechanism is attached, and consists of two stringers or sills, B B, and cross-bars C C', secured rigidly together. If preferred, a wooden, cement, or other bottom may be employed with the frame. The frame is sunk into the road-bed about iiush with its surface, and forms a pit between its respective sides equal tol their depth. Centrally in this pit an opening is formed and connection made with the main sewer by a sewer-trap for carrying off accumulating moisture.

D and E represent frogs or switch-plates, made tapering, as usual, and secured to the Serial No. 193,593. (No model.)

stringers B B in any suitable way. The plate D has a plain surface extending from its inner to its outer edge, along which latter there is a flange or rib, d, of the usual form. The construction of this plate is not material, and any well-known form may be used. The plate E has its side iianges broken into separate projections, with spaces between, which are cut to the level of the intervening channel supporting thetongue. As here shown, the construction along the outer edge, e, resembles that of the ordinary rack, while the projections on the inner edge, e', are fiat on their outer surface and rounded and tapering on the remaining surface, with the enlargement at the base to give them the requisite strength. By cutting the iianges in this way I prevent the undue ac- -cumulation of dirt, snow, and the like in the channel of the switclrplate and keep it unobstructed for the free and easy adjustment of the tongue from side to side. In fact, the tongue, in its lateral movements. aids materially in clearing its own track. The form of the projections which stand for the ordinary ilange on the sides of the switch-plate is immaterial, provided they are strong enough to withstand the usual wear, and are placed at such intervals as to permit the free escape of dirt between them; but if for any reason this construction is not sufiicient to keep the switch-rail clean, slots e2 may be formed at intervals in the bottom of the channel, and corresponding recesses in the stringers to conduct the accumulations into the pit beneath the platform. In some cases the slots alone may be used without the broken iianges, and it rarely will become necessary to use both in the same switch.

F is the switch-tongue, which is pivoted at its base and has a screw-threaded pin, f, on its under side a short distance from its pivot, which projects through a transverse slot in the switch-plate.

Gr is a balance-lever pivoted centrally by a bolt, g, on the inner side of the cross-bar C, and is provided with upwardlyprojecting lugs g at its ends, the purpose of which will appear further along. Between the lever and the switch-plate is a bell-crank, H, likewise pivoted on the cross-bar C, and having one e arm connected with the lever G by a link, h, and the other arm with the pin on the tongue by a link, h', to which it is secured by a nut.

lt will be seenbythisiarrangement :thatthe the tongue F in eitherdireotion, according as.

said lever is moved; one way or theiother, and

the parts iare so. constructed that yther lever' f will oscillalejust enough to carry the tonguee` rpoint from one sido to the otherofy theiehanfA `nel in which it:1csts.- This mechanrism may kbeing `to operaie the :tongue: `by means of a f single actuating-lever.r rThis lever, as wellas the bell-crank, might be'piivoted onstandards by the side of the cross-bar,- or be otherwise .supported so as rto .sustai n substantially their present relation to the remaining mechanism,

and other minor changes in -arrangeinientiand connection yof' partsy might. be. made without departing f rom the spirit of the invention. i

To effect the oscillation ofthe lever? at the i -a platform, TK, preferably. dividedy intoy three longitudinal sections, 7.'.

corrugated on top in. the usual way, yand'have guidelngsr/-..: `atene `end and keepersk? at the lotl1er.'l`h-ree diil'erent forms of keepers are shown, and others lthat will lanswer theisamcl purpose `may tbe adopted, it only being `de-` sirablel toy lhave them so formed as to prevent the sections .fromA .lifting at the'pivotal end,

and ironr being-.moved.longitudinally .or

reasily displaced. l.luworking position said sections it are supportedat one'end on.r the tie-rod L, which is. placed-fur eno-ugh away from the croSsbarfCtor .permit the sections to heconnected thereto whenfraised to a perhr pendieular position, and .at the. other. end

the sections are supported on lugs or olea-ts c on the side of cross-bar (l. These lugs are placed in such relation to the top surface of the cross-bar that when the sections k rest thereon they will be flush with the top of the cross-bar. The lugs k on the bottom of sections 7.-. are adapted to pass between the cleats c in such manner as to serve as guides in their vertical play and to keep the sections in their proper position at the sides. It will, however, be observed that while all the seetions are seated at one end on the pivot-rod L, only one of the side sections can be seated at the same time at the opposite end. llhis is owing to thc lugs g on lever G, which are of suilioient length to hold one section in suspension slightly above its seat while the other section has descended to its seat, and in its downward movement has switched the tongue F onto the corresponding side of the switch plate. rlhe central section of the platform meantime rests perlnanently on its supports at both ends and has no connection with the switch mechanism.

In Fig. 3 the mechanism is shown as when the team has been driven to the right, and the outer section on that side has been depressed by the weight of the animal till it rests on the cleats or lugs provided 'for its support.

` Thesek sections are The corresponding end of thel lever is necesy sarily lowered to the same: extent-,whieh` efliects the desired ladjustment, while the outer seetionis raised by the opposite endA of the. f lever, and ready to perform its: alloted function e e e e in turn when the lteamA is l dri-ven .to that. side.

rif desired, the; cleats kor klugs c may be dis-l pensed with and the erossbarGberahbeted, or f rahbeted along its edge, to form a seat for the roi" course. be. varied somewhat and still be rwithin'lhc rscope'of lmy invention, my object.'r

ends of the sections 71:; or the cross-bar may be lowered. in. relation to the stringere, so that f thesections will'rest upon its top andstillbe l ilushwith the r switch-plates: at thek side.k In

either Aoiihese. changes the halanceelover` should be sety in the same relation to thesup-y l l l l l l portingsurfaee ou` the bar as. it now. is to the f cleats'orr 'lugscr l .Ihowever prefer the con struction shown.

In Fig; 2 and itsdetai-lsI-show a somewhat different :constructionfronrthat. above de scribed. Thetongue F in this instance is provided with a chanuelorgrooverunning its entire length, but'slightly diagonal. to .its longitudinal center.

the sections are united .by `webs f, having ybeveled edges, to. allow carriages whiehrun in: the channel toride over the webs more easily..

The increased: weight given` to the: tongue Aby lthis. lconstruction affords steadiness and strength, and avoids lthe liab-iltyto :twist on its seat `and to tiltup at itszpoint whenwagous yridel over the heel. or base, as is apt to be the This channel yis rvout' f through from side to side, except at thor cen-- ter and base of the tongue, at lwhichl points.

case with the usualform of tongue.l If it be; f f

found necessary to adopt furthermeasnres oi'k seeurityfinl these respects, the .tongue may be provided with a pin or bolt about inidwayfofy its length, and the switch-plate with a corresponding transverse slot, in which the bolt can play laterally, but not vertically, a nut on its lower end serving to hold the tongue down in proper position.

`It will be observed that the double tongue shown in Figs. 2 and l2 forms what may be termed a combined tongue and rail, the outer section, f, forming the rail portion and serving to carry the wheel, the same as the usual outside ilange on the switch-plate, while the inner section, f 1, serves as the tongue proper to switch the car. XVhen the double tongue is used, the switchplate E necessarily is made wider than with a single tongue, and the rack formed edge becomes merely a guard or support along that side for the tongue and a limit to its outward movement. This beingits only function, these projections might be dispensed with except at the end of the tongue.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent, 1s-

l. In a street railway switch, the main frame, a switch-plate, and a tongue, in combination with a balance-lever pivoted on one end of the main frame, a bell-crank,and links connecting the lever with the tongue, a platform consisting of sections independent of each IIO other, the side sections of which are pivotally fixed on one end of the main frame and rest on the arms of the balance-lever at the other end, substantially'as set forth.

2. In a street-railway switch, a switch-plate having a transverse slot in its channel, and a tongue with a pin or bolt about midway its length, extending through said slot, whereby the tongue is prevented from rolling or tilting at its free end, in combination with means near the base of the tongue to operate the tongue, substantially as set forth.

3. In' a street-railway switch, a tongue provided with a channel out through from top to bott-om and having its sections connected by webs, in combination with a switch-plate having slots in its bottom, substantially as set forth.

4. In a street-railway switch, a platform bar having lugs between which the guide-lugs are adapted to be held, substantially as set forth.

5. In a street-railway switch, a switchtongue having an open channel running diagonally through its center, and having Webs connecting its sides, substantially as set forth.

6. In a street-railwayswitch,a double tongue divided into atongueseotion and a rail-section, with an open channel formed between the sections, in combination with aswitch-plate, substantially as set forth.

7. In a streetrailway switch, a switchtongue having an open channel diagonally through its center, in combination with a switch-plate having its vertical edges broken into projections,with open spaces between the projections, substantially as set forth.

FRANK DE H.ROBISON.

Witnesses:

II. T. FIsHER, CHAs. D. OCoNNoR. 

